...Here I am, Pitfall Harry, plummeting toward the dark thunder of rushing water below ... and thinking of the night David Crane called.

"I hope you're well-rested", he had said.

Too rested, I said. I was ready for action.

He asked if I'd heard tales of the legendary lost caverns of Machu Picchu in Peru. Or of a roaring, uncharted underground tributary of the Urubamba River replete with waterfalls and deadly electric eels.

"Yes", I said.

He asked if I knew of the infamous, cursed Raj Diamond. Or of the recent robbery of gold bars from the U.S. Gold Bullion Depository in Fort Knox. And had I heard of vampire bats? Poisonous frogs? Albino scorpions? The dreaded Andean condor?

"Yes", I said.

And could I still run? Climb? Jump? Could I... swim?

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. "

"Good", said Crane. "Then you'll do it?"

"Of course", I said.

If only I had known ...